Espressolane Senior Member Joined: 17 Oct 2002 Posts: 2 Location: Heart of the Bluegrass Expertise: Professional
Posted Fri Oct 18, 2002, 7:35pm Subject: help stop Measure O
Measure O
I am working on a SCAA task force to gather position statements from SCAA members on Measure O,
Measure O, the Certified-Organic, Fair-Trade, and Shade-Grown Initiative for the City of Berkley
If passed, which it is predicted to do so, would make it a misdemeanor to sell coffee in brewed form other than the three types mentioned above. Even though I am a roaster and wholesaler of 100% Certified-Organic and Fair-Trade coffee, I believe that this issue will hurt these movements and set back the gains we have made. It will also effect the sales of specialty coffee.
The hope is to increase awareness of the growing coffee crisis and how conventional coffee growing methods are harming the environment and the people who grow coffee. There are many alternatives that a city could participate in that could help in alleviating this crisis, one of which is not to dictate what people drink. I am attaching the text of a letter that I have sent to Bay Area Newspapers and to the City of Berkley and am hoping to compile letters on company letterhead from those who share my view.
All letters will be sent to SCAA headquarters, where a statement will be made to the press. You can send your letters to: Taylor Maid Farms Attn: Mark Inman 6793 Mc Kinley Ave Sebastopol CA 95472. Thank You. Here's the sample letter from Taylor Maid Farms
October 18, 2002
Residents of the City of Berkley, I am writing to you as a concerned Organic, Fair-Trade and Shade-Grown coffee advocate and businessman to urge you to vote NO for ballot measure O, the Organic, Fair Trade and Shade Grown Coffee initiative. As the immediate past President of the Organic Coffee Association (ORCA), a member of the Board of Directors of the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) and the owner of Taylor Maid Farms, a 100% Certified-Organic/Fair-Trade coffee and tea company, I am writing you to plea that this proposed measure will do more to harm these important movements and the lives of coffee farmers than help. It is true, that coffee farmers worldwide are facing an economic disaster at levels never seen before. It is also true that purchasing Certified-Organic, Fair-Trade and Shade-Grown coffees is helping farmers not only weather the storm of this disaster, but improves the health of fragile ecosystems in coffee producing countries. Companies like Taylor Maid Farms have worked hard for years to present the benefits of supporting these important coffees to consumers and encourage them to make these coffees their cup of choice. The result of our hard work has paid off in ways that dwarfs the efforts of commercial coffee companies who have traditionally not supported these coffees. The Sales of Certified-Organic coffee has increased on average of 24% a year for the past decade while Fair-Trade coffee sales have surpassed these figures over the past three years. We have accomplished this by allowing consumers to make the choice to purchase these coffees; not by having the government force them upon you. Making it illegal to sell anything but Certified-Organic, Fair-Trade, and Shade-Grown coffee is not going to make the consumer want these coffees any more, It is going to make them not want them, for consumers traditionally have not wanted to be told what to eat and drink. It is not going to help the plight of the coffee farmer, for it would take 50 cities like Berkley to move the market 1 cent. While I applaud the efforts of the City of Berkley to address this growing crisis, I need to caution voters that this effort will do nothing to help those who are in desperate need. Please join me, and other advocates of Certified-Organic, Fair-Trade and Shade-Grown coffee to help the lives of coffee farmers by voting NO on Measure O. Let the consumer have the right to decide! Sincerely,
Posted Tue Oct 22, 2002, 3:38pm Subject: Re: help stop Measure O
Measure 0 as in ZERO effect on the economic situation for most coffee farmers and laborers. A few years ago while visiting the Dominican Republic I came across probably a typical coffee farm. The family was growing coffee trees among primarily banana trees. Maybe couple acres. Organic & shade grown. But definitely not Certifed. Certification is not an economic reality for this family. The coffee at that time was grown as a cash crop allowing them to purchase items such as school uniforms (supposedly free primary school if you could afford school uniforms). If a significant number of "enlighten" communties adopt Measure 0 ordinances families such as the one I encountered in the DR would be hurt not helped.
Noel Mano dell 'operatore> Macinadosatore> Miscela> Macchina espresso
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